Customer Reviews

The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Fish

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I took the Williams-Sonoma "Fish" cookbook out from my local library and was fairly impressed with it. I have a number of seafood cookbooks in my personal collection, but there are several things I really like about this book. First off, though the book is not large, it covers all the essential seafood recipes, such as gravlax, bouillabaisse, chowder, paella, crabcakes, boiled lobster, fish and chips, sole in lemon-butter sauce, etc. Rest assured, the book contains at least one good recipe for every major type of fish or shellfish, so it is a good basic reference to have. Every recipe features a photo of the completed dish on the opposite page, often featuring a very nice presentation. Most importantly, and something that is lacking in far too many cookbooks: the recipes are laid out on the page in a very clear and organized fashion. A list of the ingredients is on the left, the recipe instructions are in the middle, and a small photo with notes is on the right. There are also helpful hints and serving tips at the bottom of the page. This makes it very easy to size up the recipes and take them on. Also included at the back of the book are tips on selecting and cleaning fish, advice on different cooking methods, and a glossary covering attributes of different fish species. Whether you're a beginner cook or an experienced amateur such as myself, this book will improve your knowledge and technique of fish cookery.

For those looking to eat more fish and less meat for health reasons, such as the need to reduce saturated fats in the diet, this cookbook offers some wonderful recipes prepared in a variety of ways--using the grill, broiler, oven, soup pot, and frying pan. The recipes use a wide variety of fish and shellfish, including suggested alternatives for some of the more esoteric choices (monkfish, pompano, skate) not always available away from the coast. Recipes range from "simple suppers" to fancier, special occasion preparations, and each recipe is accompanied by an attractive full-page photo of a beautiful presentation.

Cooks looking for a complex blend of flavors to set off the fish (especially in sauces) will find that many of these recipes depend instead on only one or two ingredients for their primary flavors--a red snapper recipe is flavored with rosemary and pernod, cod flavored with vegetables and basil, and skate with brown butter and lemon juice. Those who enjoy fruit with their fish may enjoy the halibut with oranges and molasses, salmon with fennel and apple salsa, and salmon with a sauce of mango juice.

Many of the recipes show elaborate presentations--oven-poached whole salmon covered with 1/16" slices of English cucumbers, and orange roughy with 1/8" zucchini slices, easy to do if you have a food processor but a bit fussy to assemble. The halibut fillet en papillote can be prepared ahead, so the "fuss" is done before the guests arrive. Those who plan to cook fish on the grill will need to plan for split-second timing of the grilling and the presentation, and to be sure to have the correct implements for turning the fish to avoid shredding it on the hot grill, a reason many people avoid grilling fish for guests.

Those on low fat diets need to be aware that several of these recipes call for high-fat cooking and sauces--fillets of sole meuniere calls for 6 T. of butter, trout amandine for 4 T. of butter and 4 T. olive oil, the skate with brown butter sauce for 8 T. butter, the striped bass in green curry for 14 oz. of coconut milk (very high in saturated fat), and the New England fish chowder for 1 c. half-and-half and 1 ½ c. of whole milk. Still the selection of forty-two recipes, both fish and shellfish, offers many new ideas for the cook who needs inspiration, and some recipes can be adapted to lower fat cooking.

Note: Williams Sonoma has an earlier Fish cookbook by Joyce Esersky Goldstein, available Used. The recipes in the Goldstein edition are heartier in flavor and less fussy in preparation and presentation. Mary Whipple

I have quite a few of these Williams-Sonoma cookbooks in my collection, which are all wonderful and I constantly use them. This Fish book was purchased without looking through it. Although it has many great recipes, illustrations, and all those classic sea fish dishes I love like Bouillabaisse, I found it lacking in the fresh water fish dishes such as salmon, trout, and wall eye. There are some in there, but not as much variety. If you don't live near the ocean I'm not sure how handy this book will be as sea food becomes costly the further away you live from salt waters. I plan on getting creative and changing out the fish illustrated for fresh water, which should help get more use out of this book.

Fine, beautiful pics and some nice recipes but if deciding between this and william sonoma "seafood" book, the seafood one is much better in my opinion...better recipes and variety of recipes.

You can just make so many fish dinners without recipes. This book has such a variety of different things to use. It will come in handy.

Loved this book. Great pictures. Love the side captions. Wiliam Sonoma does it right with these books. I own the entire collection and plan on having them for a very long time. Hopefully one day will be able to say I made every recipe in the book which seems possible. Some people my not like the limited number of recipes but I feel this is a great example of quality over quantity. Somebody really put some love in this book and it shows. Everything I have made so far has been great. Once you buy one you will want them all.

THIS IS A GOOD COOK BOOK. I JUST RECENTLY PICKED IT UP AND IT'S EASY TO USE WITH VERY GOOD RECEIPTS. RECOMMENDED.

MMM MMM. SOOO MANY FISHY IDEAS IN THIS BOOK. IF YOU LIKE FISH, OR SEAFOOD, GET THIS BOOK! IT NOT ONLY SHOWS YOU HOW TO PREPARE YOUR FAVORITE LIL FINNED FRIENDS, BUT IT GIVES YOU SOME GREAT IDEAS FOR MARINADES AND SAUCES. DEFINITELY A GOOD BOOK.